After dinner, we took metro line 3 from Nanjingnan Station directly to Confucius Temple Station (Exit 2). Known locally as Fuzimiao (夫子庙), the area is the vibrant cultural and historic beating heart of Nanjing. The magic of Fuzimiao truly awakens at dusk. As night falls, the traditional white-walled, black-tiled buildings light up with thousands of glowing red lanterns.
The surrounding pedestrian streets doubled as a paradise for local culinary exploration. While wandering the cobblestone alleys, one could sample authentic Nanjing snacks like duck blood soup noodles, pan-fried beef dumplings, Nanjing salted duck, and sweet osmanthus taro paste from the local stalls and restaurants.
Visitors could take the Qinhuai River painted boat cruise that allows them to drift past old stone bridges and listen to traditional music while enjoying the illuminated skyline. There is a 110-Meter Dragon Screen Wall facing the temple from the south bank of the Qinhuai River. This massive screen wall is the longest of its kind in China and provides a stunning, photogenic backdrop to the waterfront.
We then arrived at The Nanjing Confucius Temple (夫子庙), which had an entry fee to go inside. Do note that students (up to tertiary) do get a 50% discount in most attractions and it applies to both locals and foreigners, as long as we could produce the documentary proof such as student ID card. For this trip, Jerlene paid half price for almost all the attractions where we visited.
We were glad that we paid to enter the temple as it was a lot less crowded compared to the pedestrian streets outside. Situated along the banks of the iconic Qinhuai River (秦淮河), this sprawling complex is not just a place of worship but a bustling district where ancient Chinese scholarly traditions seamlessly blend with lively modern commerce. Originally constructed in 1034 AD during the Song Dynasty, it served as the premier educational center of the ancient Jiangnan region.
Dacheng Hall (大成殿) is the ritual core of Fuzimiao. This grand hall features China's largest bronze statue of Confucius alongside a massive collection of jade, gold, and silver panels depicting his life.
Dominating the center of the hall is a magnificent, 6.5-meter-high painted portrait of Confucius. It is widely celebrated as the largest portrait of the philosopher housed inside any temple in China. Surrounding the central altar were finely sculpted white marble figures of his most legendary disciples, including Mencius (Meng Zi), Zeng Shen, and Yan Hui.
We exited through the back doors of Dacheng Hall to transition smoothly into the northernmost section of the inner complex. Nestled right behind the main temple compound was the Imperial Academy (Xue Gong / 学宫) & Stele Gallery. These historic buildings once housed the top national institution of learning, where the empire’s elite minds studied Confucian philosophy. This area houses the historic Mingde Hall (明德堂), which formed the structural heart of the ancient Imperial Academy. Flanking the walkways here is the quiet Stele Gallery, home to 30 ancient vertical stone tablets engraved by historical calligraphic masters.
We saw some parents who brought their kids here to wish for good academic results by hitting the drum for a small fee.
East of the main temple sits the China Imperial Examination Museum. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, this was the largest imperial testing center in China, boasting over 20,000 individual examination cells where scholars spent days competing for government posts.
Once we completed the north-to-south interior loop, we exited back out into the public pedestrian area.
In conclusion, Fuzimiao stands as a celebrated 5A-rated tourist destination, famous for its classical Ming and Qing dynasty architecture, traditional street food, and magical lantern-lit night cruises.
No comments:
Post a Comment